Community Living

I lived in a community when I visited the SDC in Australia, from December 1979 to February 1980.  After this experience, I returned and joined the Carss Park community in March 1981.

Living in community has great advantages.  Spiritually we are able to encourage each other by our good example in all that we do.  This may be expressed in our prayer, love and care for each individual member of the house.  In doing this, we really put into practice what we resolve: 'To love one another with great charity.'

From a temporal viewpoint, living in community offers the opportunity to support each other.  Tasks are shared out and conducted without complaint so that the burden does not fall on a few.

It is important to be aware of the differences of those with whom you are living.  Good manners are essential for harmonious relationships. Communication is also a keystone for community living.

The life of all those who live in community should be based on support and love.

Living as a member of a community brings challenges to a person who undertakes such a life.

The advantage of living with other Members is that one lives out the Catholic faith, coordinated by the spirit of our Society as our Founder, Father George Preca, wished us to live.  When we gather together for our Assignment, a sense of unity results and our intellectual faculties are enlightened.

This is a central part of living together, but there is more to community life.  A lot of work needs to be done in maintaining a Centre and therefore there must be sharing in the tasks that ceaselessly crop up.  This gives an opportunity to practice generosity, as well as giving encouragement to other Members.  Working together also promotes unity among Members.

Certainly there are times of trial when living in a community.  One needs to be physically, and more importantly, spiritually and emotionally strong.  These are qualities that some of us lack.  The defects and shortcomings of other Members can be a real source of stress and frustration.

In such a life, the remedy is prayer.  Without prayer, life would just be impossible.  But at all times, a sense of humour can be a welcome tonic to brighten the atmosphere of those who live in community.

Michael Macdonald sdc

Carss Park, Australia.

The SDC's aim, to learn and to teach, is achieved in many ways. Amongst other ways it takes place in the classroom, during the assignment and also in retreat days. The most important way it is achieved, however, is in the way the Members follow the words of Christ: "Love one another as I have loved you."

To love each other involves working with each other, helping, praying, and sharing meals together, as well as just talking and listening to each other.

Some Members choose to live in community at the SDC. I believe this adds to the spirit of the Society and enhances the communal bond that all Members share. It assists us in growth and in being more effective. It lends a "lived in" feeling to the Centre, making it much more than just a meeting place.

In Australia, community living has been a part of the SDC since the arrival of the first Members. Since many Members who moved here from Malta left their families behind, they found the companionship and support they needed from their fellow Members. This helped in establishing the Christ-filled spirit of the SDC and making it what it is today in Australia.

As an eight-year old just beginning to attend the SDC meetings, the first things that struck me were the openness with each other and the warm hospitality exhibited by the Members. As I continued to attend, "Preca House" became like a second home to me. This atmosphere definitely had something to do with my joining the SDC.

I have lived at "Preca House", Sandy Bay for over two years now and my personal experience there has shown me that living in the SDC Centre allows Members to embrace more fully the life of the SDC vocation. Since moving there, I can say that the Society is my family - something that all Members should be able to affirm.

The SDC vocation itself is a full-time vocation and "Preca House" accommodates the Member's needs, as well as that of the Society. "Preca House" is the hub of activity - the Centre of the SDC's life. It is the real face of the Society in the community. It is a home where I know there are people who understand what I'm at. It is a place of retreat after a busy day at work and SDC activities.

There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages when one lives in community. The advantages for me include: less travel time to work each day, meetings at home (therefore less travelling), accessibility to resources, and more people to help in the housework.

The main disadvantages are the differences of opinion that arise from time to time, as well as having to learn to live with different, even clashing personalities! These occur in all family situations and for a Member, it is an opportunity to grow in that sense of charity, which is a hallmark of the Society.

It is important to note that Members who do not live in community are not excluded from the community life of the Centre. It is their place too.

I thank God for the opportunities that I have been given through the Society and in particular the warmth, and hospitality showed me while living at "Preca House". I pray that I, in turn can display true charity and generosity to others in my role as a "Living in" Member.

"Lord, bless the household of which I form a part. Show us how we can help one another, share our interests and sorrows and joys with one another, and be ready to make sacrifices for one another. I ask that I may find my joy in serving them as you found your joy in serving Mary and Joseph on earth". Hubert van Zeller